Pea-harvesting machine.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1807.-

L. B..BAXTER. PEA HARVESTING MACHINE.

PPLIOATION FILED NOV. 24.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEG. s, 1907.

L. B. BAXTER. PEA HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION .FILED NOV.24,1906.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

LANOING B. BAXTER, OF HICKORY, VIRGINIA.

PEA-HARVESTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907'.

Application filed November 24. 1906. Serial No. 344.906.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LANCING B. BAXTER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Hickory, in the county of Norfolk and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pea-HarvestingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pea harvesting machines, and the principalobject of the same is to provide novel means for stripping the peas fromthe vines, comprising a gathering reel consisting of tubular membershaving fingers extending therefrom. This and other objects may beattained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pea-harvesting` machine made inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of myinvention, the numeral 1 designates a frame comprising a substantiallyrectangular box, the front end of which converges and provides means forthe attachment of a draft tongue 2. Ground wheels 3 are journaled in theframe 1 upon an axle 4. A platform 5 is adjustable vertically withrelation to the frame 1 by means of chains 6 connected to staples 7 atthe sides of the platform, said chains passing upward and around shafts9 having squared outer ends for suitable cranks for turning said shafts.A ratchet wheel 10 is mounted upon each of the shafts 9 and pawls 11 arepivoted to the frame 1 to engage said ratchet wheels. By means of thisconstruction the platform is raised or lowered to operate upon vines ofdifferent height.

Journaled in the front part of the frame 1 is a reel 12, said reelcomprising disks 13 through which a central shaft 14 passes, said disksbeing secured to the shaft. A series of rods 14:l are secured at theiropposite ends to the disks 13 and strung upon these rods are a series ofgathering fingers 15, said gathering fingers each consisting of a sleeveportion 16 through which the rod 14u passes, and an extending finger 15projecting from the sleeve portion. Any suitable number of rods 14'DLmay be .employed and the gathering fingers are strung upon the rods andheld in frictional engagement therewith by means of washers 1S at theends of said rod. It is to be noted that the fingers upon one of therods are disposed in line with the spaces between the fingers of thenext adjoining rod, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. The result ofthis construction is that all parts of the pea vines are presented tothe ngers as the machine is drawn over the row of vines.

To actuate the gathering wheel a sprocket wheel 19 is secured to one endof the shaft 14, and around the sprocket wheel a chain 20 passes, saidchain extending around a sprocket wheel 21 on a shaft 22 journaled inthe frame. On the shaft 22 is a sprocket wheel 23 connected by a chain24 to a sprocket wheel 25 on the axle 4 of the ground wheel. In rear ofthe gathering reel located upon the platform 5 is a pair of divergingplates 26 which are extended upward at the sides of an endless apron toform a housing therefor, said plates terminating at their upper ends atthe side of a hopper 27 A depression 28 is formed in the platform 5 andthe peas are deposited in this depression by the gathering reel fromwhence they are delivered to the hopper 27 by means of the endless apron29 mounted upon a roller 3() in the platform 5 and upon a similar roller31 j ournaled in the hopper 27. The endless apron 29 is provided with aseries of slats 32 for carrying the peas up and depositing them withinthe hopper. The elevator is actuated `by means of a chain 33 passingover a sprocket wheel on the axle 4 and around a sprocket wheel on shaft34 journaled in the hopper. On the shaft 34 is a sprocket wheel 35, anda belt 36 passes around said sprocket wheel and around a sprocket wheelon the shaft of the roller 31. A shaft 35L is journaled in the hopper 27and provided with a sprocket wheel at the side of said hopper, and ashaft 36a also mounted in the hopper 27, carries a sprocket wheel, and asprocket chain 37 connects these two sprocket wheels. These parts aredesigned to drive an ordinary hulling and discharge mechanism, (notshown). A discharge spout 38 is provided for discharging the peas into areceptacle placed upon a table or platform 39.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the fingers 15 may be spacedapart upon the rods 14 by suitable washers between the sleeve portions16 of said -fingers whenever the condition of the plants or vines shouldrequire such an adjustment. The fingers 15 are held upon the rods 14with sufficient friction for strip ing the peas from the vines. However,should) the fingers strike a stone or @wwwa-resign other obstacle, thesleeve 16 will turn upon the shaft and prevent the breaking of thefingers.

The operation of my invention may be brieiiy described as follows: Themachine is drawn by horses over the field of peas and the fingers 15rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l to strip thepeas from the vines and deposit them upon the platform 5 and in thedepression 28 therein, the endless apron 29 then carrying the peasupward and depositing them in the hopper 27 where they are hulled bysuitable means and discharged through-the spout 38 into suitablereceptacles.-

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a pea harvester, a gathering reel comprising disks mounted upon ashaft,

gathering fingers comprising tubular portionsand fingers extendingtherefrom, rods secured to the disks and said Jlingers strung upon therods, substantially as described.

2. In a pea harvester, a reel for gathering peas comprising disksmounted upon a shaft, rods connecting the disks, gathering fingersmounted upon the rods and spaced apart by sleeves formed integral withthefingers, the fingers of each alternate series being disposed in linewith the spaces between the fingers of the next adjacent series,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LANCING B. BAXTER. Witnesses:

H. MoGowAN KING, BRUCE B. BAXTER.

